Monday, April 6, 2015

Don't call me...

Buzz...buzz...buzz...buzz

Her phone pulled her out of a deep dreamless sleep.

Buzz...buzz...buzz...

She reached for the bedside table to answer. There was no need to check the caller ID. No one else would call at 2 AM. It was a ritual. The bars would have just closed. She picked up the phone and slid out of bed.

"What?"

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"No, you don't get a hello, you get a what. It's 2 AM. I was asleep."

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"I don't care. I really don't. It's late and I have to work tomorrow."

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"No, I left the room so I wouldn't wake him."

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"Because waking people up in the middle of the night is rude."

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"Yes, that was a dig at you. I am glad you noticed."

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"Of course I'm mad."

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"Because it's 2 AM. Because I have asked you to stop calling. Because it's been too long and you need to move on."

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"My fault? How is this my fault?"

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She laughed. "Never mind. I'm not having this argument with you again."

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"What do you expect me to say? We have this conversation over and over again. You shouldn't even be calling me. Why don't you call her?"

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"Of course I am going to bring her up. It always comes back to that right? You shouldn't call me. You should call her."

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"I know. She wouldn't come. But that doesn't give you the right to call me."

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"Because you lost that right."

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"Would you tell her you called me?"

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"Yes, actually I will tell him you called."

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"Because I know what it's like to have someone keep things from you."

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"Don't talk to me about what is fair."

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"I know it's late."

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"I know you're drunk."

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"Then call a cab."

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"You should have called a cab."

.........

He found her sound asleep curled up on the couch holding her phone in her hand.

He sighed and picked her up to take her back to bed.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled against his chest.

"Was it him?"

"Yes."

He took another deep breath, patience was hard sometimes. But it wasn't her fault that he had called her. This wasn't a good fight to have. Not again. He tucked her in bed and took her phone from her hand. He checked the log. 2 AM Unknown Number. He had tried calling him back one night, to tell him to leave her alone. That all of it was his fault not hers. Of course there was no answer.